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Please evaluate & suggest-GMAT 2nd attempt : 650 (need 3rd attempt?)

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apar01
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Please evaluate & suggest-GMAT 2nd attempt : 650 (need 3rd attempt?) [#permalink] Please evaluate & suggest-GMAT 2nd attempt : 650 (need 3rd attempt?)   23 Jul 2015, 07:13
Hello experts,

I am working as a Informatics analyst with a total work experience of 6 years ( 4 years of work plus 2 years of MS in Bioinformatics). I recently made my second attempt in GMAT after 2 months of preparation ( scored very low in first attempt). My target school is Georgetown - McDonough . I am not sure whether I should go ahead with GMAT score of 650 or go for third attempt? It will be great if you can evaluate my profile and suggest.

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My score and profile is as follows:-
Nationality : Indian

Work ex :

3 years ( as of today) as Informatics analyst in US, one year experience as a technical and management analyst in a leading hospital in India and part time two years as research associate during Master's

GMAT score :

1. 2nd Attempt : score 650 (Verbal 33 & Quant 47, AWA 5) ( Took Veritas and Kaplan practice tests)
2. 1st attempt : score 590 ( Verbal 32 & Quant 40, AWA 5 )

Studies :

1) Master's in Bioinformatics (USA) : GPA of 3.7

2) Four years in Bachelor's in Technology (India): GPA of 3.6

Achievements and other activities

1) I received two years of scholarship during Master's.
2) I also have a very strong background of analytics, backed by SAS certification and strong scientific published work. ( I am focusing on a major in analytics in B-school)
3) I have cleared basic level in Spanish learning.
4) I am actively involved with an volunteer organization working on building habitat shelters for homeless.
5) I was managing the work of a new non-profit organization during one year experience in India, which included the setup of large scale conferences, camps, website and resource development etc.
6) I stood first in an national level poster competition for my B.tech thesis project and got a paper published for that as well. ( I have been active in conference participation and have received many accolades in scientific paper presentation competitions
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I am aiming for the first round of applications for next fall and if higher score is required then I need to get started with GMAT preparation again. Any input would be great! Thanks
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Re: Please evaluate & suggest-GMAT 2nd attempt : 650 (need 3rd attempt?) [#permalink] Please evaluate & suggest-GMAT 2nd attempt : 650 (need 3rd attempt?)   23 Jul 2015, 13:40
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Thanks for sharing your profile. You are within the 80% range at MSB but below the mean score. Even though you have a competitive GPA both from undergrad and your Masters I would gauge whether you think you can improve on this score a bit to make yourself even more competitive. If you can I would give the GMAT one more shot. Also, coming from an Indian background you can never be too sure when it comes to the GMAT.

Hope this helps!
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Re: Please evaluate & suggest-GMAT 2nd attempt : 650 (need 3rd attempt?) [#permalink] Please evaluate & suggest-GMAT 2nd attempt : 650 (need 3rd attempt?)   23 Jul 2015, 22:18
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apar01,

Where did you go for your undergrad? While you could raise your GMAT, depending on where you did your undergrad I would advise you what to do in order to give you the best ROI. Retaking the GMAT takes time and if you are going for round one, you want to balance that with time spent working on your applications. There is certainly enough time to do both, but let me know about your undergraduate and I'll advise you further.

Do you still do the non-profit now, setting up conferences or no longer? The other thing I would think about for you is your extra-curricular story so I would want to explore that a bit more.

Send me a note if you wish to discuss: scott@personalmbacoach.com
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Re: Please evaluate & suggest-GMAT 2nd attempt : 650 (need 3rd attempt?) [#permalink] Please evaluate & suggest-GMAT 2nd attempt : 650 (need 3rd attempt?)   24 Jul 2015, 08:03
Thanks a lot VeritasPrepDozie!
Yes I am debating over whether to take the test within next one month ( hoping to atleast raise score in verbal) and then manage my application essays in next one month. You are right, little higher score will increase the chances.

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Thanks a lot Scott for your input.
I did my undergraduate in India ( Japyee Institute of Information Technology). I had to quit my work with the Non-profit in India once I came to US for Master's studies.
Currently, I am actively involved in publishing peer review journals and two non-profit organizations - one for Autistic children ( provides training and support to autistic children) and other for Habitat for Humanity ( provides affordable quality homes for families in Maryland).
I understand my score is below the mean score for MSB, but there is a time crunch in accommodating both test and application in next two months.
I am not sure whether I should take my chances with 650 score, as an Indian female with work and education experience in US or take 3rd test with a hope to add more weight in application.
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Re: Please evaluate & suggest-GMAT 2nd attempt : 650 (need 3rd attempt?) [#permalink] Please evaluate & suggest-GMAT 2nd attempt : 650 (need 3rd attempt?)   24 Jul 2015, 09:32
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Your extra-curricular work here is good, and depending on how it ties with your overall story, you could give it a shot with your current GMAT score. That said, if you think you can add 30-40 points, you would be better off delaying your app until the next round if need be. How confident are you that you can raise your score?

I am working with folks who are retaking GMAT while applying round one, so it is possible although as you say it's a crunch, depending on your schedule and how much free time you have.

Are you considering other schools as well? Most folks apply to a number of schools. If you did that, you could try for some round one and the others round two.

I like your profile though and if you play your cards right and pick some other schools to round out your applications, you would be in good shape assuming your app is strong enough.
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Re: Please evaluate & suggest-GMAT 2nd attempt : 650 (need 3rd attempt?) [#permalink] Please evaluate & suggest-GMAT 2nd attempt : 650 (need 3rd attempt?)   24 Jul 2015, 22:26
apar01 wrote:
Hello experts,

I am working as a Informatics analyst with a total work experience of 6 years ( 4 years of work plus 2 years of MS in Bioinformatics). I recently made my second attempt in GMAT after 2 months of preparation ( scored very low in first attempt). My target school is Georgetown - McDonough . I am not sure whether I should go ahead with GMAT score of 650 or go for third attempt? It will be great if you can evaluate my profile and suggest.

<<snip>>

I am aiming for the first round of applications for next fall and if higher score is required then I need to get started with GMAT preparation again. Any input would be great! Thanks


Apar01,

Adding my 2 cents of diversity opinion:
  1. The actual years of experience for you would be 4 years. Part-time work will get your some mileage but will not be considered in your total years of experience. When you say 'informatics', is that bioinformatics? How about the brand of your current organization? Ditto for your MS school - how good/well known is that brand?
  2. Exactly because you are targeting Analytics, it is critical to try and bump up that score. Of course, if you think the score is close to what you can really score, then no point in a re-take. But if not, it is certainly worth a shot. Even if that means going in R2! Yes, R1 has an edge but NEVER at the cost of a sub-optimal application. So don't cut corners just to rush in your application.
  3. Finally, why only one school? Unless there are personal reasons guiding that choice, it is never recommended to put all the proverbial eggs in one basket. I would certainly add a few more in the mix - quite a few such as Kelley/Tepper that have built a good reputation for Analytics.

Hope this sparks some more thoughts.

Cheers,
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Re: Please evaluate & suggest-GMAT 2nd attempt : 650 (need 3rd attempt?) [#permalink] Please evaluate & suggest-GMAT 2nd attempt : 650 (need 3rd attempt?)   27 Jul 2015, 21:12
Thanks again Scott for your suggestions!
I am mostly leaning on taking GMAT again by next month end, hoping to bump up the score by atleast few points (eyeing more on verbal now and will try to maintain the quant score). I will consider other B-schools as well, based on my GMAT score.

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Thanks a lot Manish for your recommendations.
You pointed it right, even I was not confident about showing part time experience as full 2 years, I will rather use it as an additional point. My major was in Bioinformatics and I did my Master's from Indiana University of Bloomington ( Kelly is it's B-school). I am currently working at University of Maryland, School of Medicine.
As you and Scott recommended, I will definitely apply in other Univ too inorder to increase chances, but McDonough is my target University.
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Re: Please evaluate & suggest-GMAT 2nd attempt : 650 (need 3rd attempt?) [#permalink] Please evaluate & suggest-GMAT 2nd attempt : 650 (need 3rd attempt?)   27 Jul 2015, 21:27
apar01 wrote:

Thanks a lot Manish for your recommendations.
You pointed it right, even I was not confident about showing part time experience as full 2 years, I will rather use it as an additional point. My major was in Bioinformatics and I did my Master's from Indiana University of Bloomington ( Kelly is it's B-school). I am currently working at University of Maryland, School of Medicine.
As you and Scott recommended, I will definitely apply in other Univ too inorder to increase chances, but McDonough is my target University.



Sounds like the right strategy here. You have good academic pedigree and with a better score, some more aggressive schools may be within reach too.

Go for it!
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Re: Please evaluate & suggest-GMAT 2nd attempt : 650 (need 3rd attempt?) [#permalink]
27 Jul 2015, 21:27